‘Perfect’ Centre Back Linked With Chelsea Transfer

21-year-old Leicester City defender Ben Nelson has been a breakout star in the Championship this year. The England International at youth level went on a season-long loan with Oxford United, where he caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs in the country. Amid his boyhood club’s second relegation in three years, could he be on the move to Chelsea?

Chelsea Reveal Interest In Ben Nelson From Leicester

Ben Nelson On The Move?

After a fantastic loan spell in the second tier, it comes as no surprise that Chelsea would be interested in the youngster. As revealed by John Percy, Chelsea is interested in signing the player.

Enzo Maresca gave Nelson his first minutes for Leicester following loan spells at Rochdale and Doncaster Rovers. In the 2023/24 season, Nelson played on nine occasions under his then-manager, scoring his first professional goal.

Percy would also go on to report that Maresca is a ‘huge admirer‘ of the centre-back.

Playing Style

As a modern-day defender, Nelson has a well-rounded skill set. Standing at over 6 feet 3 inches tall, he is physically imposing. This part of his game has improved tremendously at Oxford, where he has been depended upon much more. Furthermore, on the ball, he is also comfortable. This was shown more throughout his games last season with the Foxes, as Maresca’s system relied upon playing out from the back.

In addition, he also has leadership qualities. He was named the Academy Player Of The Season in 20220/21 at just 17 years old and even captained the side.

All these attributes make him an obvious option for Maresca’s possession-based Chelsea. When talking about the Englishmen last season, he said, “He’s quick. He can play right or left — it’s perfect,”. Being this versatile and comfortable on both feet is also key, especially when finding new passing angles. Despite this, his former manager also noted his shortcomings, as he explained, ” He has many things to improve, but for sure, in terms of being an ideal central defender, he is probably the ideal one because he’s quick, can play right or left, and he is big.”

Why Ben Nelson Would Suit Chelsea

Under Maresca, possession has been a key proponent of his style. When looking at the statistics, the Blues rank joint-second for possession in the league with 57.6%. A major part of this comes from the centre-backs and especially Levi Colwill, as he is fourth in the league for touches and completed the most passes for his side.

Therefore, Nelson would fit this style due to his ball-playing abilities. Being ambipedal is also a unique attribute, which would help in ball progression, especially with diagonal passes out wide.

Overall, the young defender certainly has the potential to lead a top side’s backline. However, going to Chelsea now could stunt his development. This is because he would often be on the bench and potentially only play cup games. At 21 years old, this could be detrimental, so a season with Leicester in the Championship may also be his best option.